Pre Wedding Nerves
by emmareth
Summary: Draco wanted to marry her, he really did! But, with the wedding plans in full flow ... was this just a case of 'pre wedding nerves'


**Pre Wedding Nerves?**

_AN: This is an one-shot, written as part a spin off from a story posted elsewhere - the story shall remain nameless because it was really that bad. However, I liked this spin-off and wanted to post up here. I thought of changing my OC to Hermione, but, in doing that, it would have made Hermione kind of OOC, so I've stuck to my original OC. Now the explanations are over - happy reading and I hope you likey. _

"Draco," Beth mused aloud, as she tapped her feather quill lightly against her teeth. "I was wondering if..."

"NO!"

"But, you don't even know what I was going to ask--"

"The answer is still, most emphatically - no!"

Beth glanced over at him, watching him through shrewd eyes. She needed to be clever if she wanted to get this past him. "But, the fact is, Draco," she told him nonchalantly, keeping her tone deceptively light, "you still need a best man..."

Across the kitchen table, Draco scowled balefully at her. Really, she had some nerve - what was she planning this time? Did she want him to agree to a Gryffindor as his best man - or even worse, a Hufflepuff? No way, he would not allow that to happen, he would not let her get her own way this time, this wedding fiasco was already spiralling out of his control and he needed to put his foot down. So, smirking slightly, he reached across the folder-strewn table and picked up some random sheet of paper, which he proceeded to pretend to read.

"You're not really reading that, are you, Draco?"

Hidden behind the sheet of paper, he chuckled. She was exasperated now; he could hear the irritation in her voice. Ten points to Hufflepuff, he thought, rather meanly as he carried on pretending to read. Honestly, if she knew what he was doing, did she really need to ask?

"Draco!" Her voice had raised a notch.

"What?"

"Are you listening to me?"

"No!"

"You need a best man, Draco..."

"So you keep telling me--"

"Well?" she probed again, only just refraining from snapping her quill in frustration.

"Well, what?"

The quill in her hands snapped, covering her hands with green ink, and her fingers flew upwards to massage the throbbing that had just begun in her temple. He would drive her insane, she was quite certain of that. An unsettling image of herself walking up the aisle in a straight jacket suddenly popped into her head and she shuddered, letting out a low moan that was somewhere between a groan and an amused chuckle. Would either of them make it to their big day with their sanity still attached, she wondered absently, as she continued to rub at her forehead, or was all this petty squabbling between them just normal in the world of pre-wedding build ups?

Beth fought down a feeling of impending doom that threatened to overwhelm her. It was her special day, after all, and nothing was going to go wrong, she would not let even her pig-headed bridegroom would get in the way of that. Her big day would be perfect, even if she did have to resort to underhand tricks to get what she wanted. She sighed. This was going to be tough going.

Removing her fingers from her temple, which had left inky imprints there, she entwined them together and rested her chin on top of them. Then looking over at Draco, who was still smirking faintly at her, she studied him closely for quite some time before choosing her words. "So, who do you want as best man, Draco?" she finally asked him carefully.

He answered at once. "Zabini."

She bit back a scream of frustration. "But, you can't have Blaise - you know this - he can't be your best man and marry Ginny at the same time--"

"The whole bloody double wedding fiasco wasn't my stupid idea in the first place--"

"It's only you who thinks it's stupid," Beth shot right back. "Everyone else thinks it's a lovely idea..."

"Everybody?" Draco sneered, cocking a questioning eyebrow at her. "Who's everybody? It's only you and Zabini who love the idea - even the Weaslette, the blushing bride to be, isn't enthralled-"

"That's not true!" Beth jumped in, defending herself. Her cheeks flushing pink in anger. "And if Ginny does have reservations about it - that's down to you..."

Draco ignored her outburst and continued. "I still think you spiked my Pumpkin Juice with some kind of potion ... I really would have never agreed to such a thing otherwise--"

"And I think you do this just to upset me!" Beth interrupted, letting her voice wobble a little and her chin quiver for added effect.

However, Draco was not fazed by this; he was used to her little tricks and ploys by now. She could sniff, sob and wail all night for all he cared, he had been fooled by this one time too many, her Hufflepuffish tears would not work on him this time. Nevertheless, he turned his face slightly away, because it wouldn't hurt him to be just that extra bit careful. Because, _apparently_, it seemed that he held a weakness for certain Hufflepuff girls with pretty quivering chins, a fact that was just about unheard of (and unforgivable) in a Malfoy. He could almost see his father rolling in his tomb! And, Merlin, now he was thinking about his father again - and this would never do - the wedding really would be the end of him for certain. Maybe, it wouldn't hurt too much to hear her suggestion, after all? Well, just as long as her suggestion did not involve any more Weasleys. He decided to hear her out.

Then, huffing the air through his teeth, he turned his head forward to look at her again, and smirked at what he saw: ink was dotted all the way along her hair and jaw line, drying into dark green splotches. She really did look ridiculous. His amused smirk widened.

Beth saw his smirk and quickly jumped on the defensive. "What? What is it? Why do you keep smirking at me?" she questioned, rifling her hands irately through her hair, unknowingly, spreading more of the ink through her roots. "What's so amusing, Draco?"

Draco decided not to tell her straight away, he would save it for later, when he knew that commenting on her rapidly increasing inky appearance would create maximum impact. Instead, at that precise moment in time, he settled for just smirking even more smugly at her, knowing, full well, that it would eventually drive her crazy before too long.

At times like these, he had to admit, he fully enjoyed being such a perfect Slytherin. His smirk turned to a grin.

Unfortunately, for her, Beth didn't quite see things the same way - _why was he still smirking at her like that?_ "What," she cried out loudly, clearly beginning to lose her temper, "why do you keep smirking at me, Draco? For the love of Merlin, stop it! It's driving me insane..."

Draco chuckled. Teasing her was such fun; it was something he enjoyed immensely, and it was just something he could never refrain from doing. Plus, it livened up their (his) life's no end!

Nevertheless, he supposed, if he ever wanted these infernal wedding plans over and done with, he had better get on with things now. There was no use in him prolonging this torture for much longer, though, the sooner everything was sorted out, the better. Draco's chuckle turned into a huff of irritation and his face turned sullen. He folded his arms defiantly across his chest. "Who is it, then?" he asked, suddenly. "Who do you want as my best man?"

Beth blinked at his question. His sudden change of tactics had momentarily thrown her. She did not know the reason behind his sudden shift in approach. Nevertheless, she soon concluded, that if it helped to move things forward a bit more quickly, then she wasn't going to be complaining. And, without further ado, Beth got straight to the point.

"Well, I was thinking ," she said, rushing her words a little, "since Blaise has Harry for his best man ... I thought Ron might be fitti--"

His explosion was inevitable, but expected. He shot up from his chair. "That ginger-haired prat - NEVER! What ever were you thinking of, Thompson? I wouldn't even let him be a flower girl, let alone my best man ... In fact, I've just decided, from now on, he's banned from the wedding ... No - scrap that - all Weasleys are banned from my wedding--"

"Not just _your_ wedding, Malfoy," Beth was unfazed, she had long expected this reaction. "_Our_ wedding. And, in case you've forgotten, you idiot! You can't ban the Weasleys from the wedding, as it's Ginny and Blaise wedding too!"

Glaring down at her, he took a step forward to her chair. "This whole situation is ridiculous!"

Beth glared right back up at him, not letting his looming form intimidate her. "Well, if not Ron - who do you want?" she snapped up at him, feeling that she was close to exploding herself. "And don't even think about Crabbe or Goyle, I won't allow them baboons to _my_ wedding! Why can't you just..."

Draco snorted, interrupting her. "Crabbe or Goyle," he said, his voice full of disdain, as he shook his head in feigned horror. The thought of this made him shudder and his lips twisted into a disgusted grimace. "As my best man - urgh - never. I'd never live it down! For once, Beth, I completely agree with you - I'd rather have your aunt Gertrude marry us."

Beth ploughed on, taking advantage of his temporary distracted state. "So if not Ron, how about Neville?"

This did not go down much better.

"Longbottom! Longbottom, are you out of your mind? That bloody toad of his would probably swallow the ring--" Draco broke off mid rant and his eyes narrowed in thought. An idea had just come to him, and a very cunning and clever idea at that. A sly smile twitched at the corners of his mouth. He had her right where he wanted her. When he spoke again, his voice was deceptively smooth and light. "Have you found someone to marry us yet, Bethy?"

"Oh," she gasped, eyes widening as she remembered. How could she have forgotten? "Oh, I'd forgotten all about that! Dear Merlin, what will I do? Well, seeing as the ceremony is being held at Hogwarts, maybe Dumbledore would do it..."

"Pah, Hogwarts," Draco sounded disgusted; his idea had been to hold the ceremony at Malfoy Manor, which the ministry had handed back to him a few months back. But, once again Beth had gotten her own way. "Not only do I have to share my wedding with the Weasleys - I have to put up with the ceremony being held at bloody Hogwarts too! Are you quite certain you didn't spike my Pumpkin Juice, Beth? I seemed to have agreed to a lot of very disagreeable thin--"

Beth cut him off right there, she didn't want to go down that street again. "Oh, just shut up about the Pumpkin Juice, you agreed and that's all there is to it! And, Hogwarts is lovely... All our guests will love being back there..."

"The Manor is lovely too! There isn't a finer building in Britain than Malfoy Manor - the ceremony would have been perfect held there. It would have been very befitting for a Malfoy--"

"The manor is like a mausoleum ... our guests would be scared out of their wits! Anyway, have you forgotten that the place doesn't actually hold happy memories for me?"

Seeing that she actually had a valid point, Draco quickly changed the subject. "And not only to I have to put up with Weasels and Hogwarts - I have to put up with Muggles too!"

"They're my family, Draco!" Beth exploded, pulling at the roots of her hair, as she squeezed her eyes shut in frustration. "What do you expect? Of course I want my family there--"

"But, is it really worth having them there, Bethy..." His eyes now held an amused gleam.

Beth was gob smacked. How could he say such things? "Of course it is! They're my family, my dad has to give me away..."

Smirking widely, Draco went in for the kill. "But, be reasonable please, Bethy... Apart from your mum and dad, your whole family will have to be Obliviated afterwards - not one of them will remember a single thing about any of it."

"Oh, b-but - I..." Beth couldn't think of an appropriate come back to this, everything he had said was true, her family wouldn't remember a single thing. Oh, she just hated it when he was right! Nevertheless, it didn't stop her from protesting one more time. "But, I want them there, Draco ... They are my family, after all - and it just wouldn't be the same without them. You should understand that my family are important to me, like I understand how important your mum is too you..."

Draco's face had become pale and pinched, like it always did when his mother was mentioned. "Oh, yes, just bring my mother into it, why don't you, Beth--"

"Well, I did invite her, Draco. She might come..."

Draco had had enough. He glared at her, his eyes as hard as flint. His mother still was a very sore point with him. She still hadn't forgiven him for the death of his father. And, of course, Beth just had to bring his mother into their argument. "I very much doubt she'll come, Beth," he told her coldly, his eyes flicking away from hers. "Surely you haven't forgotten how much she still hates me..."

"But, last time you visited her, you told me how you thought she was coming round a bit..."

"No, Beth. What I actually said was ... at least she doesn't try to bloody hex me anymore."

"Oh," was all she could say to this. She gave him her best contrite look.

Draco eyes flicked back to hers and he scowled down at her for a moment or two. He just hated it when she pulled that doe eyed look on him, it made him want to do un-Malfoyish things, like forgiving her, which simply wouldn't do. No, he would not allow himself to kiss and make up with her, he had an argument to win here and he would not let himself be sidetracked by her devious ways. A sigh slipped out.

"What, Draco?" She was smiling sweetly up at him now. "What is it? Just tell me what you want..."

"I just want this wedding over and done with ... I'm just tired of it all..." Oops, too late, he shouldn't have said that, she was hurt now. He could see the tears welling up in her eyes. He sighed again and moved closer to her, perching himself on the edge of the table. He leaned forward and cupped her face in his hands. "Beth, I'm sorry, I didn't mean it like that ... I just meant--"

She didn't let him finish. "Oh, I know what you meant, Draco. You don't want to go through the hassle of marrying me!"

A tear fell onto her cheek.

"No...yes - I mean..." He brushed her tear away gently with his thumb and leaned his head down closer to hers, so he could look deep into her eyes. He needed her to understand him. "What I meant was - well - I meant that I wish all this petty squabbling was over, and that I could have more of a say in this wedding. I do want you to be happy, Bethy. I really do. But, I feel like I'm not part of this wedding ... I feel like I'm not needed..."

"But, you are needed, Draco. I need you. I just want everything to be perfect..."

"Yes, I know that, Beth. But..."

"You do still want to marry me, don't you?"

Another tear fell.

"Of course I do, Beth."

He kissed the tear away.

"Then..." Her voice hitched and she choked back a sob.

His kissed her trembling lips softly. "Just let me in, Bethy." His lips parted from hers and trailed a path of sweet kisses all the way up to her shell like ear. "Just let be a part of this..."

She shuddered under his mouth's gentle touch. Would she always feel his kisses this intently? Oh, how she needed him! "I need you, Draco," she whispered to him; reaching her hands up to clasp his face, she gently pulled his lips away and turned him to face her. Then staring into his pewter eyes-- "I love you and need you ... and if you want me to cancel this fiasco of a wedding right now, I will. We can do it your way..."

Staring down deep into her eyes, he could see she meant every single word. His breath caught in his throat. "You - you don't have to do that, Bethy..."

"I want to ... I want to cancel it! I'm just fe--"

He cut her off and watched her closely. He just wanted to be sure. "But, what about your perfect day?"

"I'm fed up with all this fighting, I just want to marry you!"

Draco licked his lips. His brain felt numb. Did she really mean what she was saying? "Do you really mean it, Beth? Would you Apparate away with me now? We could go to a small wizarding village somewhere - or we could go to Salisbury Cathedral and make enquiries there. We could get married, just me and you ... would you like that Beth? Would you do that for me?"

Her eyes had glazed over, her pulse raced. "I've always dreamed of getting married in Salisbury Cathedral..."

"Is that a yes then, Bethy?"

"Yes," she breathed out, her eyes sparkling with mischief and delight, as she bit back a delighted laugh. "Yes, it's yes ... I'd love to - I've always dreamed of getting married there..."

"Then you'll do it?"

"YES!" This time the laugh did escape her. "Of course I'll do it! It's what I've always dreamed of..."

"You'll come with now?" He couldn't quite believe he was hearing this, he had to ask her again, he had to be certain. The blood was pounding in his veins and he could feel his excitement rising. He had to be sure, he couldn't take the risk of being disappointed.

"Yes, I'll come with you now, Draco..."

She was smiling that secret smile that she reserved just for him. His heart skipped a beat; he could barely hear what she was saying to him.

"...Just as long as you give me a few minutes to get a few things packed and floo some people, then I'll Apparate away with you... Oh, I almost forgot, we would need to collect my dress on the way too. Maybe, we could stop at Wizarding Weddings first?" She cocked her head inquiringly at him. "Are you listening to me, Draco?"

He knew that he sounded like a stuck record, and that he must look like a gaping Hufflepuff idiot, but he just couldn't help it. "So, you'll do it then?"

She didn't answer him this time. Her eyes hazed into a misty blur of blue and she leaned forward and kissed him softly, pulling at his lips softly with hers. It was all the answer he needed, though, and he soon found himself eagerly returning her gentle kiss.

Captured kisses, soft and slow, lips that promised him things that her words could never quite say: they told him that she loved him, they told him that she needed him; they pledged her to him forever. And he took them from her greedily, as his eager lips made solemn promises of their own.

Ten minutes later, she was sat in his lap, her arms wrapped tightly around his neck, and smiling happily up at him as he smirked down at her. "Well, then," she asked him teasingly, being the first one to break their content silence. "It looks like you've gotten your own way once again, Mr Malfoy."

Draco's smirk widened. "I always do, Mrs Malfoy!"

She poked her tongue out at him playfully. "I'm not Mrs Malfoy just yet..."

"Yes, but you soon will be. So why don't you release me from this death grip and get your packing and flooing and whatever you have to do done? Then we can be off."

Ignoring him completely, she sighed happily to herself. "It will be the most magical wedding ever..."

"Well, it will be - if you would just get moving. Honestly, Bethy -- why do you always insist on these Hufflepuffish moments. You're strangling me to death!"

Wrapping her arms even more tightly around him, she fluttered up at him coyly. "Ah, but you know you love these moments really..."

"Maybe, I do, Bethy..." Smirking down at her, he broke off to give her a quick kiss. "But, if you don't get a move on soon, I might be forced into changing my mind. C'mon, Beth - we have our whole life's ahead of us. Plenty of time for all this cuddly stuff. Let's make a move - you'll probably want to phone your mum and dad first--"

Sighing again, this time a disgruntled one, she detangled herself from his neck. She had to admit that he had a point, though. Even if they were eloping to get married, they still had a few things to sort out before hand. A sudden thought hit her. "Draco - you still need a best man!"

Looking nonplussed, Draco deadpanned back up to her. "Ok then, Bethy. I'll have Snape--"

She shot off of his lap. "But, you can't have Snape, Draco! He looks like a vampire..."

"So..." Draco stood up too. At least he had got her moving. "You're aunt Gertrude looks like a troll, but you don't hear me going on about it--"

"There's no need to be rude about my family. But, Draco, honestly - Snape just wont--"

"No!" Draco picked her up and plonked her firmly down on the table. "You promised Beth - it's just you and me now..."

"But," she looked up coyly at him, through long lashes, "maybe, just a few family members - and I'll Snape be best man - that is - if you really want him..."

"Beth..."

"But, I thought you wanted him?"

"Have you never heard of sarcasm, Beth?"

"Oh, but, Draco--"

"No ... just you and me, remember?"

"Well, can I have just one thing?"

She was fluttering her eyelashes at him, and that would never do. "What?" he gritted out through his teeth. "What is it you want?"

"Well, maybe, just a few close friends?"

"Who?"

"Well, we could invite Blaise," she paused and shuddered, as she willed herself to get the next bit out, "and you could even invite Pansy, if you really wanted to..."

Draco raised a superior eyebrow at her. "Two friends each, no more than that--"

"How about five?"

She was pushing it now. "Three, and no more..."

"Each?"

"Yes, three friends each for the both of us, and that's my final offer..."

Beth chewed at her bottom lip and seemed to be considering his suggestion. Her thoughtful eyes stared solemnly into his. A few moments later, she seemed to come out of her trance. "Alright then, it's a deal."

"Good, then let's get going--"

"First we have to seal the deal, though..."

Draco could feel himself getting irritated again. He gritted his teeth. "Beth," he warned.

"How about sealing it with a kiss?"

Draco could see no problem with this, so he leant forward to seal the deal. Maybe marrying a Hufflepuff wouldn't be too bad after all?

Five minutes later, they had came up for air and were gazing lovingly at each other.

Beth leant forward and kissed him lightly again. "I love you," she whispered up to him, resting her forehead against his.

"I love you too, Bethy."

She kissed him again. "Do you promise me, Draco..."

"Yes, I promise you, Beth."

"Then will you say it for me please, Draco?" she sighed, as she pushed his silky hair from his eyes. She wanted to be looking deep into his when she heard his answer.

"Yes..."

Beth waited. Pewter eyes looked into blue. An amused smirk curved on his lips. "I promise you a most magical and happy marriage, Bethy. And, I promise I'll never make you regret a single day of our married lives together..."

Smiling contently, Beth closed her eyes and pressed her cheek against his. "Thank you, Draco," she sighed happily in his ear. "I'm sure that I'll never regret it..."

"Oh, and may I just add ... if you repeat anything about what I just said to anybody, I'll have to hex you until you cry..."

Beth threw her head back and laughed. "Oh, Draco," she stuttered out. "I'll make a Hufflepuff out of you yet!"

Draco said nothing, obviously deciding his famous Slytherin glare would do instead.

"C'mon, my sexy Slytherin," she laughed, not letting his glare faze her. "Hurry up, please. I've got a wedding to get to at Salisbury Cathedral, and I can't be waiting around for you all day now, can I?"

Draco eyes glinted with sudden intent and his lips pulled back into that sexy smirk, which she adored so much. "I'll give you a ten second head start," he warned her, and Beth could see he meant business. Then, with a small shriek, she ducked under his arms and ran for the kitchen door. He was after her within seconds.

"That's not fair," she laughed as she pounded up the stairs to escape him. "You didn't wait ten seconds..."

Half the way up the stairs he caught her, his fingers finding her ticklish spots instantly. Gasping with laughter, she fell onto the stairs, pulling him down with her. Then, all too soon, she felt his hot breath tickle her ear. "You should know never to trust a Slytherin by now, Bethy," he smirked, as he turned her to face him.

"Oh, believe me," she sniggered up at him, as she found herself looking into those intense eyes of his again. "I don't trust any Slytherins - especially blond snaky ones..."

Draco cocked a sceptical eyebrow at her.

Still giggling, Beth continued on regardless. "Oh, no, I don't trust you sneaky Slytherins at all, Draco ... I just marry them!"

Then, closing her eyes in readiness, for the kiss that she knew would soon come, Beth let her thoughts drift. Yes, she thought to herself as his lips touched hers. I think I do believe him! This would turn out to be a most magical marriage after all!


End file.
